Tom Binet: Health Minister to stand for Senator

HEALTH Minister Tom Binet has ended speculation about his political future by confirming he will be standing for Senator in June’s election.

The announcement means that all sitting ministers will be seeking re-election to the States Assembly in some form.

Deputy Binet was a political newcomer when topping the poll in St Saviour in 2022.

He was initially appointed Infrastructure Minister as part of Deputy Kristina Moore’s government but, after high-profile criticism of her leadership, brought the vote of no confidence that ultimately led to her being removed from the role.

Deputy Binet was then given the health portfolio and Deputy Chief Minister role in Deputy Lyndon Farnham’s government.

He said: “Throughout this political term, I’ve learned a great deal about the functions of government, its strengths and weaknesses, and the areas of work that we should, and should not be doing. I also have some clear ideas of where, and how, money could be saved – and how the system could be made more efficient.

“I believe our island has become complacent. The political system has spent far too much time focused on spending money and far too little on creating it. This has to change.

“We need to promote ourselves more assertively – and have something more attractive, more coherent, and more efficient to offer islanders and, importantly, to attract new business. If elected, I would, again ‘like to seek whatever position of responsibility I could obtain’ to drive much needed improvements to the entire function of government.”

He paid tribute to his Assistant Health Ministers – Deputies Andy Howell, Barbara Ward and his sister Rose Binet – who, he said, have “worked tirelessly and collaboratively” and who have “helped make a huge difference in setting the health service on the right track”.

“During that time, we were able to persuade the Assembly that the service has been underfunded, repeatedly, and that specific areas of great importance, like system-wide digitisation and ‘prevention first’, had been neglected,” Deputy Binet added.

“This was subsequently addressed with an appreciable funding increase in the recent budget.

“Previously centralised functions like finance, HR, digital, procurement and the ambulance service have now been returned to the health service, creating a more integrated operation. And much progress has also been made to improve medicines regulation.”

He said the work on the new hospital has “progressed well” and that he he hoped a construction contract to carry out the building work would be agreed and signed “quite soon”.

Deputy Binet is the 14th confirmed Senatorial candidate. Islanders will head to the polls on Sunday 7 June, the first time a Jersey election has been held at the weekend.